TEENAGE PREGNANCY, EARLY MARRIAGES: Mansa district has in the recent past recorded a reduction in the number of related cases

IN the heart of Mansa, a district once grappling with the alarming rates of teenage pregnancies and adolescent school dropout has undergone a remarkable transformation. Thanks to proactive sensitisation programmes initiated by the Government and other cooperating partners, the landscape is changing, and the future looks brighter for its young residents.

A few years ago, Mansa faced a critical challenge as the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and school dropout rates among adolescents surged.

Take for instance in 2020, the prevalence rate stood at 25.1 percent, according to the Luapula province health office, the number has since come down to 21.1 percent.

Recognising the urgent need for intervention, a collaboration of dedicated partners came together to implement a proactive sensitisation programme aimed at addressing the root causes of these issues.

Robert Zimba is executive director at Integrated Youth Development, a youth focused Mansa based non governmental organisation that works around four thematic areas that include health, human rights, governance and advocacy.

His organisation has been working closely with the Government through the the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education as well as organisations such as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Natwampane, and also Medicines Research and Access Platform (MedRAP) to address issues affecting youths and adolescents in Mansa, Samfya, Chembe and Kawambwa districts - all of which are in Luapula.

He has seen it all.

“We had a lot of these cases,” he said. “It’s just that I cannot provide you with exact figures just yet, but compared to past years, we are at a better place because of the many things that we have been doing to address these issues.”

Much as he is happy with the current trajectory, Mr Zimba still reckons that more can still be done, especially to address the lapses that may have been identified. 

“Some of the health facilities that we had sampled  had no structures for youth friendly services, instead the adolescents meet under mango trees, in areas like Kale, Buntungwa and Namwandwe,” he said. “We suggest that the Government comes up with some youth friendly structures that offer privacy in the mentioned facilities to improve the sexual and reproductive health service delivery among adolescents and young people.”

Mr Zimba is also of the view that Government and other stakeholders should increase awareness on services so that adolescents and youths are made aware about the family planning commodities found at the centres. 

“The government and other stakeholders should continue to monitor the utilisation of family planning commodities among adolescents and young people. The district health office should put up adequate monitoring mechanisms that will allow to reduce stock outs,” he said. “According to the findings, we discovered that adolescents and young people prefer using male condoms more than other family planning methods.”

One key factor contributing to this positive shift has been comprehensive sex education. Through workshops, seminars, and awareness campaigns, cooperating partners have worked hand-in-hand with schools to ensure that adolescents are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions about their reproductive health.

This has not only empowered young people to take control of their lives but has also fostered a culture of open communication and understanding.

Patricia Njowe is senior nursing officer in charge of adolescents at the Luapula province health office. She says, among the 14 districts in the province, Mansa has performed exceptionally well in dealing with teenage pregnancies.

“To improve this picture further, the district has embarked on conducting quality improvement projects to reduce teenage pregnancies in selected zones. The outcome of this intervention can only be appreciated by mid-year of 2024 after monitoring and evaluation of the said projects,” she said. “All facilities in the district have adolescent health focal point persons coordinating adolescent health services and we have been conducting community dialogues with gatekeepers such as the traditional and religious leaders and others to promote adolescent health.”

Ms Njowe however notes that even though most parents may not allow their child to access family planning services during adolescence, they engage gatekeepers to enable those that are sexually active to be linked to adolescent health spaces where they can get more information on teenage pregnancies and its effects.

“Access to family planning or contraception is one of the rights of women in the childbearing age. Adolescents access this service through counselling and allowing them to make informed decisions on when to have children and how many to have,” she said.

Additionally, the cooperating partners have implemented mentorship programmes that provide guidance and support to teenagers facing challenges. By connecting adolescents with positive role models from various fields, these programmes have instilled a sense of purpose and aspiration among the youth, reducing the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours.

Furthermore, the community has witnessed a boost in extracurricular activities and skill development programs. By offering alternatives and avenues for personal growth outside the traditional academic setting, cooperating partners have played a crucial role in keeping teenagers engaged and motivated to stay in school.

The success of these initiatives is evident in the declining rates of teenage pregnancies and school dropout in Mansa district.

The community is experiencing a positive shift, with more adolescents realising their potential and seizing opportunities for a brighter future. The proactive sensitisation programmes have not only addressed immediate challenges but have sowed the seeds for long-term sustainable change in the district.

According to a research by the National Library of Medicine, an official website of the US Government, about three in ten young women aged 15–19 have begun childbearing among the Zambian population, with adolescent pregnancy levels as high as 35 percent in rural areas – with Luapula reportedly posting 32.1 percent adolescent pregnancies as of 2019.

The mean age of the adolescent mothers was 15.5 years. Mothers younger than 20 years faced a higher risk for eclampsia, anaemia, haemorrhage, Cephalopelvic disproportion, prolonged labour and caesarean section. 

Children born to mothers younger than 20 were at increased risk for low birth weight, pre-term delivery, low Apgar score and neonatal death; the risk for asphyxia, however, tended to increase with age.

The Government has committed to providing adolescents and young people with comprehensive sexual and reproductive information and services, including in the ESA Statement of Commitment. However, parents, teachers, health care workers, and religious or traditional leaders often have reservations about young people's access to HIV prevention, family planning or information on gender-based violence, due to social taboos and discriminatory gender norms. In addition, there is a lack of appropriate tools and methods for providing quality services in these areas.

“These are some of the things that we have always been advocating for - to have a lot of people come on board, talk about these things and denounce them as church leaders,” said Davison Lemba, a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor in Mansa.

He says the more the church, parents and traditional leaders begin to openly discuss issues of sexual and reproductive health, positive trends will soon be recorded as far as teenage pregnancies and HIV infections among adolescents and young people is concerned.

“It has to start with us,” he said.

Luapula province deputy permanent secretary, Prudence Chinyama attributed the drop in teenage pregnancies and early marriages to conducive policies that the government has put in place.

“There is the issue of free education which has come on board, the classrooms are full. The province, like any other place, is a construction site, increasing the school infrastructure, manufacturing desks and a lot of rehabilitation,” she said. “There is actually quite a lot that we have been doing to make sure that these numbers come down and stay down.”

Like many others, the GIZ through the National HIV/AIDS Council, has been implementing the Strengthening Girls’ Rights project in Luapula, Southern, Lusaka and North Western provinces, with the aim of addressing the triple threat of HIV, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.

“The goal is for young people, especially young women and girls, to be able to exercise their rights, access counselling services, and take action for their sexual and reproductive health, HIV prevention, and non-violent gender relations.”

Note that this story was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper of ****.

MANSA IN REDUCED TEEN PREGNANCIES: The district records a drop in prevalence of teenage pregnancy, thanks to a robust sensitisation drive

MANSA district has recorded a decrease in the number of teenage pregnancies, from 25.1 percent in 2020 to 21.1 percent this year, the Ministry of Health has revealed.

Luapula province senior nursing officer in charge of adolescent health, Patricia Njowe also revealed that the HIV prevalence rate among adolescents in the district, and province as a whole, now stands at 1.6 percent, representing a slight reduction from 1.8 percent 2021.

Speaking in an interview here, recently, Ms Njowe said Mansa district is one of the districts that have shown a downward trajectory in terms of teenage pregnancies.

“To improve this picture further, the district has embarked on conducting quality improvement projects to reduce teenage pregnancies in selected zones. The outcome of this intervention can only be appreciated by mid-year of 2024 after monitoring and evaluation of the said projects,” she said. “All facilities in the district have adolescent health focal point persons coordinating adolescent health services and we have been conducting community dialogues with gatekeepers such as the traditional and religious leaders and others to promote adolescent health.”

Ms Njowe however notes that even though most parents may not allow their child to access family planning services during adolescence, they engage gatekeepers to enable those that are sexually active to be linked to adolescent health spaces where they can get more information on teenage pregnancies and its effects.

“Access to family planning or contraception is one of the rights of women in the childbearing age. Adolescents access this service through counselling and allowing them to make informed decisions on when to have children and how many to have,” she said.

Meanwhile, Luapula province deputy permanent secretary, Prudence Chinyama has challenged the media to highlight the milestones that her government has achieved within its two years of being in power.

Speaking in an interview here recently, Ms Chinyama attributed the drop in teenage pregnancies and early marriages to conducive policies that the government has put in place.

“There is the issue of free education which has come on board, the classrooms are full. The province, like any other place, is a construction site, increasing the school infrastructure, manufacturing desks and a lot of rehabilitation,” she said. “There is actually quite a lot that we have been doing to make sure that these numbers come down and stay down.”

She said the Government has been working with a number of Non Governmental Organisations, Civil Society Organisations and also cooperating partners such as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to combat the vice through sensitisation and emphasising on the importance of education and keeping girls in school.

“...Partners can only come on board if they see the step that you are doing and they buy into it. So, we have seen a lot of cooperating partners buy into the idea and policies of the government that speak to the improvement of the education standards, quality of education and also enrollment,” she said. “You, the media therefore, need to come on board and talk about these things. People will only appreciate things that they hear and see, you can do a good thing, but as long as you do not talk about it, it will go quiet and people will take it that the government is not working.”

This article was also published in the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper edition of *****.

UNEARTHING THE HIDDEN GEM: Artisanal Mining and its struggles in Rural Zambia

The author interacting with the miners at a mining pit in Mapatizya.

NESTLED in the heart of Southern Africa, Zambia is known for its rich mineral resources, including copper, cobalt, zinc, and emeralds. While large-scale mining operations dominate the industry, artisanal mining has quietly emerged as a vital source of livelihood for rural communities.

This feature article aims to shed light on the often-underreported artisanal mining sector in rural Zambia, exploring its impact on the local economy, environment, and the lives of those involved.

Artisanal mining refers to small-scale, often unregulated, mining activities conducted by individuals or small groups using basic tools and methods. In rural Zambia such as Mapatizya, in Zimba district, artisanal mining plays a crucial role, particularly in communities left marginalised by large-scale mining operations such as Kariba Minerals, operating a gemstone mine in the area.

It provides an avenue for local residents to extract mineral resources independently, sustaining their livelihoods and empowering local economies.

These miners sweat it out and risk their lives in the mining pits dotted in various hills, to get at least a kilogramme of tin, which they then sell cheaply to buyers from outside town, mostly from Copperbelt and Lusaka province.

One such miner is Estely Siambalo. She is a 42-year-old mother of seven and can be easily located at a site in Chilobe, a community in Mapatizya area in Zimba.

She, together with her children, including her youngest child who is only seven, come to dig in the pits. Make no mistake, it is a dangerous venture - and they do not wear any protective clothing at all.

Ms Estely has to involve her children if she has to increase her chances of getting enough tin to sell and meet her family’s needs. A cupful of tin is roughly about 200ml and can weigh about three kilogrammes.

“On a day, if I am lucky, I can get a cup or two,” she says. “We used to sell it at K35 per kilogramme.”

On the London Metal Exchange (LME), the prices of tin nearly doubled from between US$18,184 and US$18,530 per tonne in October last year to trade somewhere between US$27,030 and US$32,950 per tonne.

“But that is after the buyers have sieved and separated the bad ones from the good ones. So, sometimes, what you thought was three kilogrammes can even come down to 1.5 kilogrammes after the process.”

Clearly, it’s a huge gamble. “Sometimes, it can take you a week to get a cupful of good quality tin,” says Ms Estely who has been mining in these pits since 1985.

Asked to single out at least one tangible item that she has bought from the money she has earned, she couldn’t even find the courage to lift a finger.

“There is nothing significant,” she says. “We just do it because there is nothing else to do here. The area is hilly and farming is not easy because of the stones and landscape.”

Sorting out the quality.

She is not alone.

Similonga Makowa is also a regular at the site. He says on some days, the site can have as many as 30 people digging for tin with rudimentary tools such as shovels, chisels and hammers.

Some women can also be seen with woven sieves which they use to sieve the mineral in readiness to separate the good quality from the bad ones with a magnet.

“One of the things that delay us is the benching [the process of putting some kind of scaffolding to protect the pit from caving in]. It takes a lot of time, but otherwise, on a good day, you can get even more than three kilogrammes a day,” he says.

Ironically, it seems Mr Makowa knows what risks come with mining from the site but for obvious reasons, he turns a blind eye to them.

“It’s not safe, I know. But what can I do?” he asks. “That is why we need enough manpower here to guarantee safety.”

Luckily for the miners, there has been no accident at the site, maybe yet.

“There is another tungsten pit nearby where the walls caved in and injured a woman. As for us here, we haven’t recorded any accident yet,” says the miner.

The Government recently gave a 90-day amnesty to illegal miners to have their operations formalised or legalised.

Paul Kabuswe

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka recently, Minister of Mines and Minerals Development Paul Kabuswe announced the reopening of the Cadastre Department, which signifies the resumption of the issuance of mining licences. 

He warned that small-scale and artisanal miners that would be operating illegally after the amnesty period would be arrested.

“The Ministry of Mines has been given Cabinet approval to start the formalisation of the small-scale and artisanal miners,” he said.

Artisanal mining acts as a lifeline for communities without access to alternative income sources. In rural Zambia, where job opportunities are scarce, artisanal mining provides a means for survival. The sector ensures equitable wealth distribution, as earnings are retained within the community and spent on essential needs such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.

Moreover, artisanal mining preserves traditional practices and cultural heritage. Through the passing down of mining techniques from generation to generation, community members maintain a deep connection with the land and their ancestors, reinforcing their sense of identity and belonging.

While artisanal mining holds economic and sociocultural benefits, it also poses environmental challenges. The use of rudimentary tools and lack of regulatory oversight often result in poor mining practices, leading to land degradation, soil erosion, and water pollution. Additionally, increased deforestation and wildlife disturbances affect the delicate ecosystems surrounding mining sites.

Addressing these issues requires a collaborative effort between local communities, government bodies, and non-governmental organisations. Initiatives aiming to improve mining techniques, offer training on sustainable practices, and provide access to equipment can help mitigate the environmental impact of artisanal mining.

Recognising the potential of artisanal mining to contribute positively to the local economy while preserving the environment, stakeholders in Zambia are beginning to devise strategies to improve the sector's sustainability. Encouraging artisanal miners to organise into cooperatives promotes better governance and access to support services. Cooperative members can also pool resources to acquire more efficient machinery, reducing the sector's overall environmental footprint.

It is these compounding reasons that Caritas Zambia through a Swedish faith-based organisation, Diakonia has had engagements with various artisanal miners in Mapatizya and other places across the country to try and see how they can turn the tables and be able to earn more from the mineral than they are currently earning.

Chepa Lesa is programmes officer at Caritas Zambia. She says since 2019, it has, with the help of the Diakonia-funded Strengthened Accountability Programme (SAP II) project, decided to step in and help.

Chepa Lesa

“Our role was mainly to facilitate the attainment of a mining licence because when we went there initially, they were mining illegally and the price at which they were selling tin for was very low, at K35 per kilogramme,” she says.

Apart from Southern province, Caritas Zambia has also worked with similar miners in North Western, Copperbelt and Luapula provinces where artisan miners face many similar challenges, among them safety and lack of proper equipment.

Ms Lesa wants the miners to quickly get a mining licence if they are to benefit from the mineral. She says the miners are being exploited by briefcase buyers because they lack proper documentation.

Whitewaters Development Trust (WDT) is also another organisation that has been working closely with the Mapatizya community in trying to make sure that they have a sustainable livelihood. The organisation has offices in Zimba and Choma.

WDT director and senior trustee Jeffrey Mikunga who is also a magistrate at the Zimba local court says the organisation's thematic areas are climate change, sports development for youths, agriculture and tourism and mining.

“When we went there, we found those people mining without safety measures and it got us worried and concerned. We started to try and legalise the process for them - it was an expensive venture so the quotation we got was somewhere around US$25,000 and we couldn't find people to help us with the money,” he says.

At the governmental level, strengthening regulatory frameworks and ensuring effective enforcement of environmental and labour laws are vital. Alongside this, providing support for alternative livelihood opportunities, such as agricultural and tourism initiatives, creates a diversified economy that reduces communities' dependency on mining alone.

Emelda Munashabantu

Mapatizya Constituency Member of Parliament Emeldah Munashabantu Ms Munashabantu who has been at the forefront advocating for better mining conditions and the formalising of the sector in her constituency, hopes that there will be order once the mining cadastre issues licences to all those intending to conduct any mining related activities in the area.

She hopes as many people in her area form and register cooperatives so that they can formally apply for exploration and mining licences.

“My interest is the locals,” she said. “Government is looking at the bigger picture,which is mining in Zambia. But for me, I am mostly interested to see my people in Mapatizya benefiting more. Mapatizya is rich in minerals such as tungsten, amethyst, and even tin.”

Of late, there has been a discovery of more minerals in various parts of the country, resulting in concerns of a sharp rise in illegal mining activities mainly by locals who feel they need to directly benefit from the natural resources.

However, the Zambia Chamber of Mines has cautioned against tolerating illegal mining activities.

Sokwani Chilembo

Chamber of Mines chief executive officer, Sokwani Chilembo said in an interview that if well managed, the discovery of minerals, can help address high unemployment levels while contributing to boost the national treasury.

“The lesson here is that we need to be more structured about our exploration regime. There are ways of structuring the tax code to incentivise the institutions to invest in exploration so that Zambians go out and do it properly,” he said.

Artisanal mining in rural Zambia represents an intricate tapestry of challenges and opportunities. Although its unregulated nature poses environmental risks, the sector plays a fundamental role in sustaining rural livelihoods and fostering community resilience.

By addressing these challenges through collaborative efforts and sustainable practices, artisanal mining can continue to unlock the hidden gem of rural Zambia, benefiting local communities for generations to come.

For now, Zambians whose areas are endowed with these minerals, remain subjected to unfair pricing and driven into mining activities without safety measures taken into consideration.